321 



need extrasensory powers to discover that in tlie Vice President we do 

 have a great supporter. Mr. Mosher and I were over meeting with him 

 only a few days ago on space matters, and I brought up the question 

 of the entire environment and our oceanographic opportunities. He was 

 enthusiastic and said that no nation can long continue and be a great 

 nation if it does not explore and move out from its own immediate 

 restrictions, w^hether it is space or the oceans or any other challenge. 



He has a great deal of enthusiasm, and we are going to get his sup- 

 port I am confident. 



Mr. Wilson. The Commission on Hunger that is working on the 

 hunger problems of the country and the world ought to become inter- 

 ested in this idea, too, because the projections of food sources from the 

 ocean that can be developed are just fantastic. I mean enough to feed 

 the world. 



I remember one figure where a plankton farm the size of Rhode 

 Island could supply the food needs of the entire world, and I mean if 

 it were developed properly and so forth. 



I have never had plankton stew, and maybe I wouldn't particularly 

 care for it, but the potential is there for us to develop. I just think 

 that we are spinning our wheels until we really get this agency under- 

 way. 



One further point, if I might : This is something that I pledged to 

 stop today. I referred to this NOAA as a so-called wet NASA. I think 

 that is a bad term. NOAA shouldn't be a contracting agency like 

 NASA. It should be an operating agency, but unfortunately it was 

 tagged with that particular name. Maybe it was good in the early 

 stages to help explain what the basic idea of the agency was, but there 

 is no relationship or parallel with NASA any more than between, let's 

 say, a horse and a rabbit. 



They do go through similar creative processes, but when you are 

 through, they are completely different types of animals, and I think 

 this is what this is going to be, too. 



Mr. Pelly. Your mentioning hunger brings to mind the fact that 

 the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee did report out legisla- 

 tion which was passed and enacted authorizing a pilot plant to develop 

 a low-cost method of producing fish protein concentrate, but some of 

 you Calif ornians are going to have to help us get a little more money to 

 get that project going because people are still starving to death. We 

 are starving for money to get that plant built and operating. 



Mr. WiLSON". I think money from the Federal Government is the big 

 need, frankly, in this oceanographic area, but it is going to be not ex- 

 penditure, but investment. The returns that will come back to the 

 Federal Government and to the community in terms of benefits provide 

 a real opportunity for Federal investment rather than expenditure. 



We are just not investing any more than pennies compared to what 

 we should be. 



INIr. Pelly. I couldn't agree more. I sometimes doubt what we are 

 going to get any fallout from the moon but, when it comes to the oceans 

 and the environment on our own planet, I think we can probably make 

 the best investment. 



Mr. Hathaway. Congressman Keith. 



Mr. Keith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



